Barricaded men had alleged suicide pact

Thursday

Sep 16, 2010 at 7:00 AMSep 16, 2010 at 2:18 PM

Beatriz Valenzuela

HESPERIA • Two men with an apparent suicide pact barricaded themselves in a Hesperia apartment early Thursday morning leading to the evacuation of several families surrounding the area, officials said.

The men, both in their late 20s, were taken to Desert Valley Hospital after officials entered the home, authorities said.

The men reportedly took several pills sometime before 3 a.m., then one of the men called his ex-wife to say goodbye, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Sgt. Colleen Kuhn said. The distraught man also allegedly told the woman he had a shotgun and would shoot anyone who tried to get to them.

According to neighbors, one of the men had been going through problems with his former spouse, which came to a head Wednesday.

"She picked up and went to a Motel 6 with her child earlier that day," Johnita Kirkwood said. "He kept saying he was going to kill himself and then all this happened."

After receiving the call, the woman called sheriff's officials who immediately went to the apartment in the 9900 block of Topaz Avenue, she said.

Deputies along with a member of the SWAT team tried to make contact with the men, but didn't have much success, officials said. Authorities entered the home at about 5:15 a.m. and found both men convulsing on the floor.

Officials didn't release the status of the men.

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Beatriz E. Valenzuela may be reached at 951-6276 or at BValenzuela@VVDailyPress.com.